“After climbing Huangshan, no other mountain in the world is worth seeing!” — the words of the great Ming-dynasty traveler Xu Xiake, who ranked the Yellow Mountain above all the five sacred peaks of China. In midsummer July, we set out to see it with our own eyes.
Huangshan is famed for its “peculiar peaks, grotesque rocks and wonder pines; flying clouds and flying waters.” Granite pinnacles rose out of the drifting mist, ancient pines clung to the cliffs with roots gripping bare rock, and wherever we looked the scenery changed with every step — a living Chinese landscape painting.
Along the climb, everyone admired the beauty of the mountain and its strange pines and rocks, chatting and laughing while supporting and encouraging each other. Steep stone stairways, high ridges and the summer heat tested our legs, but no one fell behind — five hours later, the whole team successfully reunited at Brightness Peak (Guangmingding), 1,860 meters above sea level. In front of the giant meteorological radar dome at the summit, we unfurled our team banner — “All the way is scenery; together we cross every mountain” — and captured a group photo to cheer at the sea of clouds below.
Mountains are climbed the way business is built — step by step, together. The Huangshan trip reminded us once again of the spirit of sharing, responsibility and mutual growth that defines the Baixu team.
